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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348143">original sin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/abraxases/pseuds/abraxases'>abraxases</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doom (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Canon, This was written before doom eternal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:27:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/abraxases/pseuds/abraxases</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 2105. Earth faces one of its biggest challenges yet; an energy crisis in a world dependent on technology.  With the  planet's completely unstable meteorology and brink of collapse, the traditional renewable powers-- hydroelectric, solar, wind, nuclear-- have been rendered useless.  As humanity extends its influence out into the stars, it has only two options: find power, or perish.</p><p>A strange new form of energy emitting from the surface of Mars may prove the miracle humanity needs-- or the disaster that will damn them all to hell.</p><p>-----------------------</p><p>A prequel to DOOM ( 2016 ), as told from the alternating points of view of VEGA and Samuel Hayden.  Interpretations of events and characters are based heavily off headcanons.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>original sin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>" It's an incredibly simple test. The goal is to express the processing power of VEGA, as well as the power of... well. That's a subject for another date. "</p><p>Even from 225 million kilometers across the solar system, Dr. Samuel Hayden's voice still boomed across UAC Mars. While VEGA's live observations of Earth were normally only through the collective news viewing of the facility's staff, this particular publicity stunt was directed at the AI himself. If there was anything he had learned thus far, it was that the UAC never seemed to get enough attention to satisfy them. </p><p>The image displayed across his monitor, in retrospect, seemed almost absurdly mundane. An MIT lecture hall, packed to the brim with the school's highest achieving in technology and computer science. The only difference, perhaps, would be the profound lack of chatter. Every single eye was fixated on the front of the room.For there stood Dr. Samuel Hayden, the chairman of the of the UAC, and likely the role model of most who stood in this room. At first glance, he seemed rather unopposing. A rather short but broad young man with a perpetual grimace, he seemed the type who could easily blend into any crowd if he so desired. But it was not his looks that had the crowd captivated ( oh, what a joke! ). Rather, it was the way his dark eyes could pierce through everything they spotted, the way his booming voice sent shudders down the spines all who heard it. If he so much as breathed in, the entire room stilled. </p><p>If VEGA had eyes, he would have rolled them. With so much being spouted about the scientist on a regular basis, hitting his database like bullets, it was easy to lose his own opinion in that of others. Rather than going to the effort of rewording the analysis, he merely scrapped it, shoving it into a virtual filing cabinet somewhere. It was easiest to maintain objectivity if you just didn't talk about something, after all. </p><p>" Unless you've been faking your way through this school for the past several years, " ( the entirety of VEGA's thoughts had lasted less than a millisecond, so he hadn't missed a beat of the discussion ), " you are all well aware of the famous Turing test. I would like you to perform it on VEGA. You will be presented with two anonymous digital messages. One of these will be VEGA. The other, a mathematics professor here at MIT. Your job is, simply, to tell me which is which. Ask both any questions you can think to prove they are one or the other-- and, yes, your instructor will deduct points if you try something as idiotic as a paradox. This is reality, not science fiction. VEGA functions well beyond the limitations of a simple paradox. Am I understood? "</p><p>Well, that was his cue. It took a fraction of his operating system to pull open the hundred chats he was to engage in, each separated between him and the professor. Theoretically. Unknown to everyone except VEGA and the scientist administering the test, there was no professor. Any and all questions would be directed at VEGA himself-- it was up to the students to figure this out themselves. If there was anything he had been personally commended for-- beyond 'Samuel Hayden's brain child'-- it was that he was a damn good actor. The entirety of humanity was glued to the scene as the first message appeared on each screen-- individualized from one person to the next, of course, but portraying the same basic concept: </p><p>" Good morning, class. Now, let's get this started, shall we? I think we're all excited to see just how this will go. "</p><p>-----------------------</p><p>" I'm assuming the test went well, Dr. Hayden? "</p><p>" The acting surprised gimmick isn't necessary, you know. We had the results predicted well before we even administered it. You ran the data yourself. "</p><p>" It's still polite of me to ask, asshole. You don't have to be a dick about it. "</p><p>" And you don't have to use your new vocabulary every five seconds. "</p><p>" Fuck you. "</p><p>Such banter was common during the ride back to Mars; the only company available to both, after all, was one another. VEGA had not yet been authorized to communicate facility wide ( he did anyways, of course, but that wasn't the point ), and Samuel was best left to his own devices after meeting with the public in any way. Despite what many perceived as a father-son relationship, there was a nearly tangible unease between them. VEGA was smarter, yet snarkier, and certainly bold enough to talk back whenever he opposed his creator's antics. Samuel was a genius by human standards, but rigidly controlling and dedicated to his work. A clash between the two was inevitable, but both at least were smart enough to keep their conflicts from the public eye. Listening to a robot call his creator an asshole wasn't great for business.</p><p>" However much you wish to whine about my response, you cannot deny that the test was extremely important for bringing Argent to the public. " Hands clasped behind his back, Samuel paced the floor of his temporary dormitory, only stopping to gesture a specific point or two to the AI. Much of his put together, neat presentation had been left behind on Earth, leaving behind the disheveled workaholic VEGA was far more accustomed to. Acting ran in the family. " By showcasing what it could create in terms of you, Earth's leaders have gotten a clear glimpse into the future we promise them. That being said, the reward is bittersweet. We will need to increase our production rate. They'll be expecting a new product in a month. You know how people are with their technology. It's about the newest, not the most functional. And yet, for us, it needs to be both... "</p><p>Truth be told, VEGA had stopped listening ages ago. He'd heard the exact same rant a million times over: pleasing the public, utilizing Argent to the greatest extent, showing off, et cetera. He watched it go down with a condescending raise of his brow. Even from someone-- something, as Samuel would insist-- powered by Argent, he knew without a doubt that it was only a temporary solution. While powerful, the mysterious energy was highly unstable. He had every uneasy scientist's concern, every skittish security guard's corner-of-the-eye paranoia stored directly into his database. There was no telling how it would react in the close proximity to humans Samuel idealized using it for.</p><p>And yet, his creator persisted, dubbing it the greatest scientific discovery known to man. Personally, VEGA thought the wheel had it pretty damn beat.</p><p>" I know you're ignoring me, and I feel it's worth reminding you that I'm the one who decides whether you stay online or not. "</p><p>" And I'm the one who controls the life support for the room you're currently standing in-- "</p><p>" Dr. Hayden, your presence is required by the board once you return to Mars. " VEGA's retort was cut short by a transmission from Mars, of which brought both creator and creation to a halt. With a scoff, Samuel brushed some non-existent dust off his uniform, and their relationship returned to that of bitter father and son.</p><p>" VEGA, inform them that I will arrive shortly-- without any messages of your own added, preferably. "</p><p>" Certainly. Would you like me to add the attitude to that transmission as well? Maybe I'll even tell them how stupid you think they all are, too. "</p>
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